3. PARENTING AND FAMILY SUPPORTS

The programs and services described in this chapter provide parents and families with tools, guidance and supports to help ensure that children have the opportunity to grow, play and learn in environments that are safe, healthy and nurturing.

ACTIVITIES AND EXPENDITURES

Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Food Safety Activity Book

This bilingual booklet combines fun activities with simple but important messages about food safety for children aged five to eight. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) distributes the activity book regionally at fairs and other events, and copies are sent to teachers and members of the public, upon request.

Website: www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/educ/active5-8e.shtml.

Food Safety Activity Book

Expenditures		Delivery Agent	The activity reaches
2000–2001	NA	Canadian Food Inspection Agency Exhibits and Web site and through Service Canada	Teachers, the general public and children
2001–2002	NA
2002–2003	NA
2003–2004	$10,800
2004–2005	$ 4,254
2005-2006	$ 3,378
2003–2004: Expenditure includes the amount spent to develop and print the publication. 2004–2005: Expenditures reflect the cost of supplementary printing. 2005-2006: Expenditures reflect the cost of supplementary printing.

Health Canada

A Parent's Guide to Sun Protection

This series of public education pamphlets explains risks related to ultraviolet radiation and outlines what parents and caregivers can do to keep children safe from the sun's harmful rays.

Health Canada works with partners, such as public health units and community nurses, to ensure that the information reaches its target audience. A Parent's Guide to Sun Protection was originally published in 1992 and was developed into a Web-based resource in 1998.

Website: www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/securit/sports/sun-sol/careful-soigneux_e.html

A Parent’s Guide to Sun Protection

Expenditures		Delivery Agent	The activity reaches
2000–2001	NA	Health Canada Web site	Parents
2001–2002	NA
2002–2003	NA
2003–2004	NA
2004–2005	NA
2005-2006	$3,515
Note: The original document "The Sun, Your Baby and You - A Parent's Guide to Sun Protection" was produced in 1992 at a cost of $250,000. In 1993, $20,000 was used to reprint copies. It was adapted to the web as "A Parent’s Guide to Sun Protection - Protecting your Family" in 1998. It was also further simplified as a fact sheet entitled "Babies, Children and Sun Safety" available at http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/pubs/sun-sol/babies_child-bebes_enfant_e.html . The printing cost for 2005-2006 is for this simplified version.

Consumer Product Safety Activities-Seven Activities

The objectives of Health Canada's Consumer Product Safety activities are to raise awareness among parents, grandparents, caregivers, educators, children and others about the risk of injuries associated with consumer products, and to offer safety tips to minimize the risks. The seven activities in this section are designed to work together to accomplish these objectives.

Website: www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/pubs/cons/index_e.html - publications for parents
www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/pubs/indust/index_e.html - publications for industry

Consumer Product Safety Education Bulletins

These user-friendly public education bulletins focus on protecting young children from product-related injuries. Fact sheets highlight risks related to the use of cribs, lighters, matches, bunk beds, sleepwear and other products, and offer safety tips to prevent injuries to children.

New bulletins are added to the series as new safety issues emerge. Physicians, public health nurses, teachers, social workers and community service groups each play a role in making sure the information reaches parents and caregivers.

Website: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/pubs/cons/index_e.html

Consumer Product Safety Education Bulletins

Expenditures		Delivery Agent	The activity reaches
2000–2001	$54,635	Physicians, public health nurses, teachers, community services (e.g., resource centres), social workers and hospital personnel	Families and children
2001–2002	$46,935
2002–2003	$35,823
2003–2004	$41,631
2004–2005	$62,548
2005-2006	$13,364
Expenditures include operations and management costs for reprinting various bulletins. Expenditures for this project fluctuate, depending on the number of new resources created and the demand for reprints of existing resources. 2005-2006 – several new bulletins were created and printed in this fiscal year.

Consumer Product Safety Industry and Professional Guides

The Industry Guides advise manufacturers, importers and retailers about safety requirements that products must meet before they can be sold in Canada. Examples include Children's Sleepwear: Flammability Requirement Guidelines and Information to Dealers of Secondhand Children's Products. The objective is to reduce injuries by encouraging industry to make children's safety an integral part of the way products are designed, manufactured, labeled and advertised.

The Professional Guides are booklets on such topics as crib safety that assist professionals (doctors, public health nurses and social workers) in counseling parents and caregivers about minimizing the risk of injuries to children.

Website: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/pubs/indust/index_e.html

Consumer Product Safety Industry and Professional Guides

Expenditures		Delivery Agent	The activity reaches
2000–2001	NA	Industry Guide: manufacturers, importers and retailers Professional Guide: public health nurses, doctors, social workers, etc.	Industry Guide: manufacturers, importers and retailers of products to be sold in Canada Professional Guide: professionals working with families with young children
2001–2002	NA
2002–2003	$21,435
2003–2004	$12,570
2004–2005	NA
2005-2006	NA
Expenditures include operations and management costs for printing and desktop publishing. 2004-2005: There has been no expenditure in this area as sufficient quantities were printed in the previous years to maintain supplies into this fiscal year. 2005-2006 No expenditures in this fiscal year related to children under 6.

Corded Window Covering Awareness Initiative

This initiative is designed to increase public awareness of the hazards related to corded window coverings and how to minimize the risks. The awareness initiative will be launched in 2005-2006.

Website: http://www.healthcanada.gc.ca/blindcords

Corded Window Covering Awareness Initiative (NEW)

Expenditures		Delivery Agent	The activity reaches
2000–2001	NA	News Canada, Physicians, public health nurses, social workers and hospital personnel	The general public
2001–2002	NA
2002–2003	NA
2003–2004	NA
2004–2005	$24,659
2005-2006	$75,425
2004–2005 Expenditures include costs to develop and produce resources only. 2005-2006 Expenditures include printing of resources, disseminating the messages to paper, radio and T.V. across Canada

Is Your Child Safe?

This booklet helps parents and caregivers provide a safe environment for infants and young children by explaining how to minimize the risk of injuries related to cribs, pacifiers, strollers and toys. The overall goal is to improve the quality of children's lives by reducing product-related injuries.

Doctors, public health nurses, social workers and hospital personnel give the booklet to parents and caregivers. Public health officials have described this resource as a "one- stop" booklet that makes parents aware of important safety issues.

Website: http://hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/pubs/cons/child-enfant/index_e.html

Is Your Child Safe?

Expenditures		Delivery Agent	The activity reaches
2000–2001	NA	Physicians, public health nurses, social workers and hospital personnel	Child care providers and families
2001–2002	$47,474
2002–2003	NA
2003–2004	$29,900
2004–2005	NA
2005-2006	$38,110
Expenditures include operations and management costs only. 2002–2003: Expenditure was revised in the 2003–2004 report because the reprint was delayed until 2003–2004. 2003–2004: Increase in funding is due to reprinting. 2004–2005: There were no expenditures because sufficient quantities were printed in previous years. This resource is undergoing revisions. 2005-2006: Includes costs to revise/expand and reformat this document – costs for designer and printing of the resource.

Safety with "Radar" Activity Book

"Radar" is Health Canada's mascot for injury prevention. The Safety with Radar Activity Book has word games, puzzles and pictures that teach everyday safety to children in a fun way. The book features Radar's safety tips for playground safety, bike safety, safety at bath-time and what to do in case of fire.

The booklet is given to families and children free of charge by public health nurses, social workers, teachers, community services representatives (e.g., fire and police departments) and hospital workers.

Website: http://hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/pubs/cons/activitybook-cahierdexercices/index_e.html

Safety with “Radar” Activity Book

Expenditures		Delivery Agent	The activity reaches
2000–2001	NA	Physicians, public health nurses, social workers, teachers, hospital personnel and community services (e.g., fire and police departments)	Children
2001–2002	$16,100
2002–2003	$46,595
2003–2004	NA
2004–2005	NA
2005-2006	NA
Expenditures include operations and management costs only. 2002–2003: Resource was revised and printed. Expenditures for this resource are done on an as needed basis. In 2002-2003, the resource was revised and sufficient quantities were printed for a few years. The resource remains in high demand by the public and by stakeholders.

Stay Safe Program

Stay Safe is a multi-component education program about household chemical safety that includes two teaching guides, one for child care providers and educators of preschool children, and another for elementary school teachers. Each teaching activity is linked to specific learning outcomes. An interactive Web site complements the teaching guides and invites user feedback to assist in ongoing program evaluation.

The Stay Safe preschool guide uses games, puppet shows, songs and stories to teach young children to recognize the four hazard symbols for household chemicals. The school-age guide builds on the pre-school program and suggests ways that older children can interact with younger ones to teach them the meaning of hazard symbols.

Website: www.healthcanada.gc.ca/staysafe

Stay Safe Program

Expenditures		Delivery Agent	The activity reaches
2000–2001	NA	Preschool teachers, social workers at resource centres, public health nurses, injury prevention specialists	Child care providers of preschool children. Primary teachers of young school-age children.
2001–2002	$31,132
2002–2003	$208,330
2003–2004	$133,065
2004–2005	$427
2005-2006	$12,600
Expenditures include operations and management costs only. 2001–2003: Expenditures related to development costs; program was launched in 2003–2004. 2004-2005: Expenditures represent ongoing cost of hosting the Web site. Expenditures decreased because there were no costs associated with development of the program for this year. 2005-2006: Expenditures represent cost of hosting the Web site and preparing another children’s application for the Web site.

Toy Safety

Toy Safety activities revolve around the wide distribution of two publications aimed at reducing child injuries related to toys. The first, Industry Guide to Canadian Safety Requirements for Toys and Related Products, provides guidance to manufacturers, importers and retailers about safety regulations for toys sold in Canada. The second publication is Toy Safety Tips, a flyer that gives guidance to parents and other adults on purchasing and maintaining toys for young children.

Websites:
http://hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/pubs/indust/toys-jouets/index_e.html - Industry Guide
http://hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/pubs/cons/toy_safe-jouet_secur_e.html - Toy Safety Tips

Toy Safety

Expenditures		Delivery Agent	The activity reaches
2000–2001	NA	Industry Guide: product safety officers and the Consumer Product Safety Bureau Toy Safety flyer: physicians, public health nurses, social workers and hospital personnel	Industry Guide: manufacturers, importers and retailers of children’s play products Toy Safety flyer: adults who purchase toys for young children
2001–2002	NA
2002–2003	$12,700
2003–2004	$21,093
2004–2005	$30,777
2005-2006	NA
Expenditures include operations and management costs only. 2002–2003: Expenditures related to development costs; activity was launched in 2003–2004. 2004–2005: Expenditures include publishing and distribution costs.

Human Resources and Social Development Canada

National Literacy Secretariat-Family Literacy Projects

The National Literacy Program (now integrated under the Adult Learning, Literacy and Essential Skills Program - ALLESP) funds various family literacy projects and encourages other organizations throughout Canada to invest in literacy. The objective is to ensure that families, including parents, children and extended family members, have opportunities to develop literacy skills.

HRSDC recognizes that the family is where literacy begins, and that support for family literacy builds skills and fosters a commitment to continuous learning for the entire family.

Website: http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/hip/lld/nls/About/aboutus.shtml

National Literacy Secretariat—Family Literacy Projects

Expenditures		Sites	Children under 6 and their families
2000–2001	$3,507,000	104 projects	Not available
2001–2002	$3,123,000	90 projects	Not available
2002–2003	$4,578,000	67 projects	Not available
2003–2004	$3,839,749	51 projects	Not available
2004–2005	$4,285,161	60 projects	Not available
2005-2006	$3,425,830	59 projects	Not available
Expenditures include grants and contributions only. While most of the projects focus on developing literacy skills and tools for young children and their parents prior to school entry, some also include components not directly related to children, but which could not be separated from the overall expenditure figure. Expenditure amounts for 2000 to 2003 were adjusted in the 2003–2004 report to reflect revised reporting categories. 2000–2001 to 2002–2003: Expenditures were budgetary allocations. 2002–2003: The number of projects declined, since a select number were given increased funding for substantial initiatives. 2003–2004: Expenditures decreased due to one-time funding in 2002–2003. 2004–2005: Expenditures increased due to the approval of 10 four-year family literacy projects. 2005-2006: Expenditures decreased due to lesser levels of funding required per project as they are implemented.

Public Health Agency of Canada

Canada's Physical Activity Guides for Children and Youth

These Guides were developed to help families, caregivers, teachers, physicians and community leaders understand the importance of physical activity to healthy growth and development, and to promote more regular physical activity among children.

The publications feature goals, guidelines and tools to help boost children's active time and reduce their sedentary time. The Guides and other resource materials are available through a toll-free number (1-888-334-9769) and online.

Website: www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/pau-uap/paguide/child_youth/

Canada’s Physical Activity Guides for Children and Youth

Expenditures		Delivery Agent	The activity reaches
2000–2001	$100,000 (estimate)	Children and youth intermediaries	Teachers, children, parents, caregivers, physicians and community leaders
2001–2002	$200,000 (estimate)
2002–2003	$500,000 (estimate)
2003–2004	$300,000 (estimate)
2004–2005	$250,000 (estimate)
2005-2006	$210,984 (estimate)
Expenditures include grants and contributions, and operations and management costs. Expenditures include children age six to nine. 2002–2003: Increase in expenditure due to printing costs. 2003–2004 and 2004–2005: Expenditures decreased because no expenditures occurred for development/productions. Costs incurred were for printing only. 2005-06: Decrease in expenditure due to slow summer, decrease for ordering requests.

CAPC/CPNP National Projects Fund

The National Projects Fund (NPF) was created in 1997 to fund initiatives that support the objectives of the Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program (CPNP) and the Community Action Program for Children (CAPC). The NPF aims to support CAPC and CPNP projects across Canada directly, in an attempt to eliminate or minimize conditions of risk for pregnant women, and young children and their families.

Each year, the NPF enables national, regional or local not-for-profit organizations to undertake specific, time-limited initiatives that are national in scope and designed to generate knowledge and action about children, families and the role of the community in supporting families.

Website: http://phac-aspc.gc.ca/dca-dea/programs-mes/npf_main_e.html

CAPC/CPNP National Projects Fund

Expenditures		Delivery Agent	The activity reaches
2000–2001	$398,311	CAPC/CPNP project staff	CAPC/CPNP project participants
2001–2002	$947,621
2002–2003	$1,355,616
2003–2004	$1,709,016
2004–2005	$866,267
2005-2006	$1,190,618
Expenditures include contributions only. 2004–2005: Fluctuation should not be interpreted as a decrease because funds were transferred directly to the regions to carry out National Project Fund objectives. Since these were direct transfers they were not included in expenditures.

Community Action Program for Children

The Community Action Program for Children (CAPC) provides funding to community-based groups and coalitions to develop and deliver programs that promote the health and social development of children from birth to six years of age who are facing conditions of risk, and their families. CAPC emphasizes partnerships, community capacity building and other promotion strategies that influence the broader determinants of health.

CAPC aims to reach the following groups of children:

those who live in low-income families;
those who live in teenage-parent families;
those who are experiencing or are at risk of developmental delays or social, emotional or behavioural problems; and
those who are experiencing or have been exposed to abuse and neglect.

Special consideration is also given to Métis, Inuit and off-reserve First Nations children; the children of recent immigrants and refugees; children in lone-parent families; and children living in isolated and remote communities.

In 2005-2006, approximately 440 CAPC projects operated in more than 3 000 communities across Canada.

Website: www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/dca-dea/programs-mes/capc_main_e.html.

Community Action Program for Children

Expenditures		Sites	Children under 6 and their families
2000–2001	$59,500,000	462 projects (estimates)	57 038 children—47 234 parents/caregivers
2001–2002	$59,500,000	465 projects (estimates)	60 729 children—50 435 parents/caregivers
2002–2003	$59,500,000	459 projects (estimates)	66 468 children—52 136 parents/caregivers
2003–2004	$58,509,249	450 projects (estimates)	59 039 children—52 483 parents/caregivers
2004–2005	$60,595,297	450 projects (estimates)	65 603 children and parents/caregivers
2005-2006	$60,867,980	440 projects (estimates)	67 884 children and parents/caregivers
Expenditures for 2000 to 2003 are allocations and include grants and contributions, operations and management costs, and salaries. Numbers of projects are estimates, and were revised for the 2004–2005 report to better reflect the total number of projects for each reporting period, and not just those participating in the national evaluation. Participant numbers do not include children and parents/caregivers from approximately 50 Aboriginal projects in Ontario that are a part of a separate evaluation. Numbers of participants (children and parents/caregivers) are based on counts for each program, and represent participants in a typical month. A participant may access more than one program during the year and, as a result, may be counted more than once. Numbers of child participants may include children older than 6 years of age. 2003–2004: Expenditures include grants and contributions (actuals), operations and management costs (allocations), and salaries (allocations). The reduction in expenditures is due to a decrease in actual grants and contributions in response to departmental budgetary pressures. 2004–2005: Expenditures include grants and contributions (actuals), operations and management costs (allocations), and salaries (allocations). Data on the number of CAPC participants in a typical month were not collected separately for child and adult participants due to modifications in the national evaluation system. The number of monthly participants (children and parents/caregivers combined) was estimated in a different way to reduce the chance of over-counting. 2005-2006: Expenditures include grants and contributions (actuals), operations and management costs (allocations), and salaries (allocations).

Nobody's Perfect

Nobody's Perfect provides parenting education and support to parents of children during the critical early years, from birth to age five. It is designed to meet the needs of parents who are young, single and socially or geographically isolated, or who have low incomes or limited formal education. The Program is built upon partnerships with the Provinces and Territories, as well as with non-governmental organizations (NGO's).

The program reaches approximately 12 000 to 20 000 parents every year in over 1 000 different project sites across Canada.

Website: www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/dca-dea/family_famille/nobody_e.html.

Nobody’s Perfect

Expenditures		Sites	Children under 6 and their families
2000–2001	$140,000	1 000+	12 000 parents
2001–2002	$70,000	1 000	12 000 parents
2002–2003	$132,112	1 000	12 000 parents
2003–2004	$109,442	1 000	12 000 parents
2004–2005	$110,500	1 000	12 000 parents
2005-2006	$95,000	1 000 +	12 000 – 20 000 parents
Expenditures for 2000–2001 and 2001–2002 include operations and management costs only. 2000–2001: Health Canada funding only. Additional implementation costs were covered by provincial and territorial governments. 2001–2002: Includes national and administrative tasks and facilitating national networking to support initiatives. In addition to these activities, Health Canada also funded a status report on Nobody’s Perfect ($40,000), and revised a training manual and a facilitator’s manual ($30,000). 2002–2003: Expenditures were revised in the 2003–2004 report to include operations and management costs and salaries. Justice Canada contributed $30,000 in support of this activity. 2003–2005: Expenditures include operations and management costs and salaries. Justice Canada contributed $30,000 each year in support of this activity. 2004-2005: Expenditures include operations and management costs as well as salaries. Justice Canada contributed $25,000 in support of this activity.

Transport Canada

Keep Kids Safe Car Time 1-2-3-4

Car Time 1-2-3-4 is a public awareness campaign to provide parents and caregivers with information about the four stages of child safety in vehicles, including when and how to use a rear-facing infant seat, a forward-facing child seat and a booster seat. There are also tips on making car time a safe time for children.

Resource materials for the campaign include fact sheets and a booklet for parents, as well as a companion video for use by health professionals in community settings, such as prenatal classes.

Transport Canada has begun replacing the Keep Kids Safe program with four specific fact sheets related to the four stages of Car Time 1-2-3-4. Costs included in this estimate include maintenance of the older program and migration to the new program.

Free copies of all child restraint safety information may be ordered through a toll-free number (1-800-333-0371) and print materials are also available online.

Website: www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/childsafety/.

Keep Kids Safe: Car Time 1-2-3-4

Expenditures		Delivery Agent	The activity reaches
2000–2001	$101,000	Video, booklet, Web site, and new individual fact sheets.	Parents and caregivers of children
2001–2002	$150,000
2002–2003	$48,000
2003–2004	$72,200
2004–2005	$58,300
2005-2006	$53,000
Expenditures include operations and management costs and salaries. Expenditures depend on redesign, printing and distribution costs. Fluctuations should not be viewed as increases or decreases. 2001 to 2003: Expenditures were updated in the 2004–2005 report to include previously unavailable information.

Road Safety

Transport Canada is responsible for regulations and standards related to the safety of new vehicles, tires and child restraints. The Department also works with provincial and territorial partners to promote awareness of such issues as school bus safety and the correct use of appropriate child restraints.

Website: www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/.

Road Safety

Expenditures		Delivery Agent	The activity reaches
2000–2001	$356,000	This includes defect investigations, testing and regulations covering child restraint systems and school bus compliance and testing.	Parents and caregivers of children
2001–2002	$396,000
2002–2003	$377,000
2003–2004	$469,400
2004–2005	$441,000
2005-2006	$484,000
Expenditures include operations and management costs and salaries. Expenditures fluctuate depending on the cost of redesigning materials and printing and distribution costs. 2001 to 2003: Expenditures were updated in the 2004–2005 report to include previously unavailable information.